Protocol Online logo
Top : Forum Archives: : Molecular Biology

dUTP used for PCR - (Aug/12/2001 )

I had used the dTTP to do the PCR before, but now I had changed to use the dUTP and the PCR product can not be generated. Does any one know how the PCR can work which the nucleotide used is dUTP.

--

You have to be sure that the thermostable polymerase that you're using will incorporate dUTP into DNA, some enzymes like Pfx polymerase will not. I would also suggest using double the concentrations of dUTP in your reactions since Taq tends to have a lower affinity for dUTP. Good luck.

--

I have the same problem ... I can't get PCR products for AT rich sequences using dUTP instead of dTTP
I tried
* lowering annealing temperature
* Increasing dUTP concentration (twice as high as normal dNTPs)
* Trying different enzymes

Does anybody knows about an enzyme (or something else) that may solve this PCR problem?

Kind regards
Tim

-stakie-

You may want to try Tth polymerase, I have some success with this polymerase although it's still no complete guarantee ...

-stakie-

You could also use only a small amount of dUTP in a mix with near-normal amounts of dTTP, if the purpose is to allow removal of PCR product as potential templates in other reactions. You only need a few dUTP incorporated to allow enzymatic destruction of the template.
But perhaps you have some other reason for using dUTP in the PCR reaction.

-phage434-

My experience is dUTP doesn't work as well as dTTP especially with longer PCR products. Why are you doing the PCR with dUTP?

-Daniel Tillett-

dUTP incorporates about 4 fold more difficult than dTTP. If your are working with all general RNA guidelines you shouldn't really need the dUTP unless you're working in a human diagnostic situation or have a confirmed contamination case.
If you don't use UNG every time than working with dUTP is actually quite useless.
If you're looking for enzymes which will work good with dUTP I suggest you look at suppliers of qpcr MM with the dUTP in it. The Enzymes are usually Hotstarts. Take a look at Abgene, ABI and Eurogentec.

good luck ,
Guy

-Guy-